hey guys, so I'm about 2-3 years from graduation but I'm going to start doing my observation hours now because I have a very free summer and I might as well fill that time. do I need to create an account on PTCAS to log these hours? how does logging obs hours work in general?
obs hours question
- Thread starter yoga108
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The facility you observe at usually keeps a log that is signed off daily. You should also keep a copy for yourself. When it's time to apply, PTCAS will ask for a list of emails and facility info for verification. You do not need to make an account atm, PTCAS will not save and carry the info over.
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Hold off on creating a PTCAS account. If you really want to keep track of your hours, create an excel sheet. Clinics and hospitals will usually have their own time sheet where you log in hours but it's always good to have your own record.
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PTCAS dumps all the info at the end of every cycle, so you'd have to re-enter it and have it re-verified by your supervising PT anyhow. Keep track of your own hours (you'll only need the total # of hours and date range, not the exact dates & times). Then when you apply, you can enter it and add your PT's email to have her/him verify.
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I've never had a facility make me mark on their own time sheet. I would send each contact, whom which you negotiated your observation with, an email when you finish at that facility which would include the number of hours you observed, also thanking them as well for the opportunity. This establishes a base for when you eventually request them to electronically verify your hours. You may also refer to this email if there is any confusion on how many hours you observed. Good luck with the rest of your undergraduate education, OP!
Keep track of them for yourself, PTCAS is only for documenting them when you apply. I never saw a facility log them. The challenge may be getting in contact with the PT you shadow 2+ years from now to get them to verify the hours when you are submitting your application. Don't kill yourself over it now, you still have plenty of time. Do take into consideration though that inpatient hours, particularly in the acute hospital and acute rehabilitation settings, are typically difficult to set up, so I would plan on that taking several months. Observing in these settings as well as a couple different flavors of outpatient PT is very important for having an overall strong application.
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Each facility has different protocols I guess. For example, all three of the facilities that I went to (2 hospitals, 1 OP clinic) had time sheets for each of their volunteers. They kept track of this regularly and then when it came time to verify hours for PTCAS, they would look at each individual's log for the total (this was their way of making sure no one lies about their hours).
With that said, I agree with DesertPT. Getting hours in a variety of settings looks very good on an application. The more diverse your experiences are, the more well rounded you'll look.
With that said, I agree with DesertPT. Getting hours in a variety of settings looks very good on an application. The more diverse your experiences are, the more well rounded you'll look.
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I definitely wouldn't make a PTCAS account right now since everything will be deleted when the new application cycle opens up (July 1).
Before applying this past cycle, I went ahead and made an excel document and kept records every day with my hours. My columns were entitled "Date", "Facility" "Purpose" (Shadowing or PT Tech Job), "Contact Information" (names of PT(s) I was working with and their phone numbers and email addresses) and "Number of Hours". That made it incredibly easy to add up and put into PTCAS when the time came.
Good luck!
Before applying this past cycle, I went ahead and made an excel document and kept records every day with my hours. My columns were entitled "Date", "Facility" "Purpose" (Shadowing or PT Tech Job), "Contact Information" (names of PT(s) I was working with and their phone numbers and email addresses) and "Number of Hours". That made it incredibly easy to add up and put into PTCAS when the time came.
Good luck!
